Awakening of the Hearts
by Zehava
Summary: After the failed Mastery Exam Sora continues to have a nagging in his heart and a dream that continues to plague his nights. Whispers and cackles that threaten to drown him. "Fall to darkness, Sora. It's where you belong after all." Set after DDD, spoilers within.
1. Vanitas

**A/N:** Set after Dream Drop Distance (DDD) but before KH3

 **Warning:** This is based on my **OWN** headthoughts and opinions so warning to those who read and go 'WTH is this?' Rated T to be safe based on "dark" content. Also may contain spoilers to _DDD_ and _Birth by Sleep_.

 _Italics_ = Vanitas speaking

 **Awakening of the Hearts**

Only a few weeks had passed since that failure of a Mastery Exam he and Riku had gone through. He considered it a failure because not only did he not achieve the title of Keyblade Master but also because they had not been able to stop Xehanort. In reality, the ancient Keyblade Master had nearly claimed his heart and body as the final vessel for their thirteen darknesses.

Ever since then he had felt something stirring deep in his heart, something that had been dormant for what felt like a long time. It wasn't anything terrible but it was a simple tugging as if someone else was redirecting his heart's thoughts and actions. He had been told of a theory of a boy named Ventus that had perhaps sought shelter in his heart long ago but he wasn't sure what to make of it.

He couldn't recall the name yet there was a familiarity to it when he let the name roll off his tongue. The young man had been part of a trio like himself and had been on the path of Keyblade Master when Xehanort snatched his life away. At least that had been the thought. The King's face always scrunched with sadness and pain when speaking of him so Sora had bit his curiosity back at times and stayed silent.

He regretted it often but not enough to change his ways. Yet.

Now he was back in the same dream that had been occurring each night since that experience. A pitch black expanse of nothingness that he walked aimlessly around, enduring whispers and cackles that caused shivers to slither down his spine. He often walked with his hands over his ears despite the childish notion and murmured songs his mother used to sing to fight off the sheer terror the darkness brought.

However something was different this time and Sora could feel a pressure against his skin as if the black was trying to seep through his flesh. He rubbed at his arms vigorously to shake the feeling away yet paused when he saw a shadowy figure in the distance. This was new…

"Your Majesty?" Sora asked with confusion as he neared the small figure cloaked in an Organization XIII outfit. Even with the hood up the ears of the mouse could never be hidden completely. Rather than answer the brunette watched as the King called on a keyblade to his hand. This one was different than his original however and was pitch black in color. Where had he seen that before…?

Suddenly the mouse was spinning around to face him, the black keyblade being slashed upwards to plunge into his chest. Sora gaped, a cough forming in the back of his throat as the metal pressed deeper into his flesh yet no blood flowed and instead light shone gently around the edges.

"Mickey…?" The mouse's eyes were hard as he stared up at the young man, fingers tightly clenched around the handle of the keyblade.

"Ventus's heart needs to be freed. He's been waiting long enough!" Mickey stated in a voice colder than the keyblade wielder had ever heard. "His power is what's needed for the Guardians of Light. Not your borrowed blade."

"B-borrowed?" Sora opened his mouth to question this further and his fingers began to reach up to try and remove the blade from his heart. His hands froze as another stab of fiery pain launched through his spine. Tilting his head slightly back he could see a head of spiked red hair, green eyes glaring nastily into his own.

"While we're at it, I'm taking Roxas from your heart as well. After all he's Ventus's Nobody, not yours." A gasp of agony escaped him as both black blades were ripped from his body at the same time, streams of light pouring out of the gashes formed. It felt like his heart cracked before shattering, trickling free of the light flowing out. The brunette felt his legs buckle and he dropped to his knees, toppling over like a limp doll. Two little balls of light hovered between the King and Axel—or was it Lea?—and even in this form he could sense a terrible anger surrounding the freed hearts.

" _Fall to darkness, Sora. It's where you belong after all."_ Sora's eyes snapped open at the new voice that entered his hearing. The two towering above turned their backs on him, beginning to walk away.

"Wa…it…" he whispered, reaching a hand out towards their retreating figures. A tendril of darkness stretched out of what seemed to be the floor of this dream, wrapping tightly about his wrist to drag it down. The boy yelped as more whips of black curled around his figure, tugging him into the darkness that suddenly writhed around him like quicksand attempting to devour him.

He pulled and struggled, panting harshly as one threaded around his throat. He felt like every nerve was on fire from the pain of the keyblade attacks and his body was now more like weights that hindered him rather than helped him.

Darkness sloshed around his face like liquid as it slipped into his mouth and nose, causing the boy to gag violently.

" _You really won't put up more of a fight? I suppose it's understandable considering you aren't meant to exist in the first place."_

Sora froze as did the darkness around him, encasing most of his body in black as cold as ice. Golden eyes floated in his vision and the brunette couldn't help a shudder at the absolute hatred that swirled in their depths.

"W-who are you?" The brunette demanded, clinging to anger to make his voice stronger. There was a pause before a chuckle. The eyes began to circle and the keyblade wielder could imagine a person pacing around him.

More like a predator.

" _I find it sad that no one told you more about this fate you will have to suffer. Perhaps they wished to keep you in the dark as long as possible. Not even the boy whose heart you took in informed you. What a despicable house guest considering what he took from you."_

"Ven…tus?" The golden eyes seemed to ignite at that name and Sora cried out in pain as the darkness snapped tighter in a more crushing embrace.

" _So they told you that name at least. Do you know the story, little shadow?"_ Sora felt tears prick at his eyes from the pain as the bindings around him continued to slowly curl tighter. He stubbornly blinked them away and forced himself to glare at the golden gaze.

"Enlighten… me." Another chuckle sounded and Sora winced at the grating noise yet couldn't help but sigh in relief as the bonds loosened around him.

" _Yes, I can see why Ventus's heart fled to yours, little shadow. Allow me to tell you a story. A story of a boy who was too light-hearted for his master. A story of a master who then ripped his pupil's light and dark pieces apart. A story where the dark piece formed its own being to fulfill the wish of the master the light piece couldn't. The pieces in this story I'm sure you are beginning to figure out. I am hoping at least as I don't wish to give away all the surprises."_ The voice paused and the brunette stiffened as those golden eyes suddenly flashed in his view, boring into his blue orbs. _"The dark and light fought as only one could survive but in the end both succumbed to their fate. The light heart fled to the place it had taken refuge before in a child who bore the name of the sky."_

"Me?"

" _And here I was afraid you were too slow to understand… The boy named after the sky happily accepted the heart in his own as a refuge, unaware of the shadow that followed along after the light. The light piece withdrew inside the boy of sky, not knowing of the consequences that came with its doing."_ The eyes lowered further and Sora could swear he felt breath ghost across his face. _"Tell me little shadow, do you know how malleable the heart is? Especially at such a young age… Where does your strength come from?"_

"My friends," Sora responded without hesitation. Almost automatically.

" _Is that so…?"_ The eyes were moving again and now the brunette could make out the outline of a figure as they circled around him. " _I heard those exact same words from someone a long time ago… one who wielded a keyblade before you knew what one was. A keyblade you borrow now to wield yourself."_

"The keyblade… is mine," the brunette bit out, his free fingers clenching around the darkness that bound him.

" _Are you sure? Who gave it to you?"_ Sora faltered but before he could answer the voice continued. " _Keyblades are specially forged for their owners and handed down. You have noticed that each Keyblade Master has their own specific blade including your own best friend…? Yet yours is a simple Keyblade. Nothing special. Nothing grand. Because it is a borrowed power. One from the heart that has eaten your own."_

"E-eaten? What are… you talking about?" Sora's breath hitched as the dark ice encasing him began to slowly travel across his body to cover him further. He could now make out the clothing of the figure. Something akin to Riku's when he had fallen to darkness but more red and black like bruises and blood.

" _Hearts are selfish, little shadow. Even the most light filled heart is filled with a selfish desire to live above all else. If a heart is broken and weak what do you think it will do? It will replenish itself on what it has available. Including that of a boy whose name means sky."_ Sora went rigid and his eyes immediately traveled to his chest where a heart would reside.

" _I'm sure the light-hearted boy didn't mean to devour the other's heart but as I said, all hearts are selfish. Slowly but surely the heart that was 'Sora' began to be eaten away, consumed to make the heart of 'Ventus' whole once more. 'Sora' doesn't exist."_

"I exist!" Sora spat venomously, a long forgotten anger burning through his veins. Memories of Organization XIII swearing at him, labeling him a traitor as Roxas swirled to the front of his mind. "I am Sora!"

" _Are you, little shadow? Or am I?"_ Sora's breath caught in his throat as the figure neared once more and any heat he had from the rage turned icy in an instant. His own face stared back at him, chocolate hair an inky black while blue eyes were gold with malice. " _I am the darkness ripped free from Ventus. I am Vanitas."_

"Vanitas…?" It tasted vile on his tongue. His look alike smiled though it was more like that of a bloodthirsty shark than a human.

" _Yes. I am the third piece of this trio. Ventus is the light heart. Roxas is the Nobody of him. I am the darkness that comes from both. You are but the shell that contains us."_

"I. Am. Me." Sora ground out again, attempting to tilt his head back to slow the crawling black that inched towards his lips.

" _No, little shadow. You are my vessel. The vessel that my Master tried to bring back in an effort to quash Ventus entirely this time. Your heart pieces have been so shredded by his heart that it is a wonder they even exist as a name of 'Sora'. Perhaps that is all that your heart has left."_ Vanitas leaned forward, his hands clutching the dark ice the surrounded Sora's shoulders with such force it cracked. _"Your ability to use the Keyblade is because Ventus claimed enough of your heart that it recognized its owner. Not enough to call his specific blade but one suitable to work. Your journey to save a friend that fell to darkness was engraved so strongly into you because his heart couldn't bear to go through that again. So he lived that dream through you, again eating away at your heart. Every step in your journey has been decided by the actions of his heart that took over yours slowly but surely. You've noticed it haven't you? The change of style you are adapting to the keyblade? Looser, not so crouched. Maybe even holding it backwards before switching it back forward again?"_ Sora's eyes widened and he felt the creeping darkness slip across a corner of his mouth

"How did—"

" _Because 'Sora' doesn't exist. You are merely a vessel for the heart of both pieces of light and dark. They want Ventus's heart freed. You know that and are aware of the multiple ideas and schemes they have prepared to bring him back. What they don't tell you is what will remain after this is said and done. What happens to a parasite once the host is dead?"_ Sora flinched as black slid across his eye, tendrils fingering through his hair. " _It withers away and dies. Which of the two do you think you are?"_ Sora clenched his remaining eye shut, unable to answer with the black ice wrapped about his mouth.

" _You won't be able to call upon the Keyblade because the heart that it responded to will be gone. Your ability for magic? Gone. Summoning? Gone. Your friends? Well, they're off fighting a war, what could they do with one who has no abilities at all? You'd be dead weight to carry around and protect which means, they would also be gone. All that would be left would be the dark piece of the boy who bided his time deep within the heart of the boy who meant sky. Waiting for the day when he would be awakened."_ Sora's eye snapped open as he felt the remaining darkness cover his face, a terrible grin splitting Vanitas's face as his last picture before black took over. The encasing dark slowly squeezed, suffocating him and causing feral panic to flare up within him.

" _It was a wonderful idea Master Yen Sid had. Awakening the worlds as a Mastery Exam."_ Vanitas's voice cut through the fear only to deepen it further. " _It sent all of our hearts into a deep sleep so that when you were awakened, we were snapped into awareness as well. What I find most beautiful about all this is that even hearing all this, you will still agree to awaken Ventus. Maybe because of the deep desire in his heart that has its claws in yours. Or maybe because you wish to prove that 'Sora' exists. But what will happen is I will finally claim your body as mine and snuff out the little remains of your heart that gets left behind. They will think it is merely their Sora who has succumbed to the darkness. Your friends won't know the truth until every single one of them has been slaughtered by the hand of the one they wanted to save..."_

An agonizing pain spiked through his skull and a scene of fire and darkness opened up in front of him. Thousands upon thousands of Keyblades littered the area, stabbed deep within the dry earth. However there were some that rather than be in the ground were scattered about. Each was near a person he cherished yet now their eyes were unseeing and their bodies were drenched in crimson. One figure stood above them all and suddenly whipped around to stare at him as if looking at a camera. His doppelgänger grinned broadly at him, golden eyes ablaze with malicious glee and face splattered with blood.

" _How long will you make this scene wait, little shadow?! After all you are the one that will cause it!"_

Sora jerked up in bed with a scream, his hands immediately on his face to claw the darkness away. Yet his fingernails only met skin and he halted his actions at the sharp bite of pain afflicted. The boy trembled as he looked around only to be greeted with the familiar sights of his bedroom in Yen Sid's tower. A window was open, allowing the moon and star's light to filter in. Sora carefully lowered his hands only to see blood caught in his nails from his previous act. The sight made something snap within him and he felt bile rise to his throat as he crossed his arms, dropping his face in them to muffle the sobs that began to rack his body.

"I am… Sora," he whispered tightly, visions of his fallen comrades still burned into his mind's eye. "I am Sora." He repeated the phrase over and over again as he rocked back and forth in his bed.

Deep within his heart another piece of light was chipped away by darkness.

* * *

 **A/N:** This is my first KH fic so it may be totally off kilter from everything else but it was an idea that popped into my head after getting re-obsessed with this franchise with the new game trailers. It's also a bit of an exercise to try and work those writing muscles. College is finally finished and so is internship so now it's just job hunting and relaxing until then. Apparently relaxing is torturing my video game bby. forgiveme. /snugs the bby

I'm going to try and get back into my other stories but if you follow me no promises there as life is still rather hectic at times. And procrastination sucks… But it's definitely my goal to finish at least one of meh stories before the year's end. Who knows. Might write more for this fandom as well if the muse feels right.

Also! If you have completely different headcanon-y thoughts leave a review! I always love hearing what other people's theories are. :D

Until we meet again~

\- Zehava


	2. Ventus

**Warning:** OOCness possibly ahead. Also abuse to the sky.

 **Spoilers:** For _DDD_ and _Birth by Sleep_

 _Italics_ = Vanitas speaking

 **Bold** = Ventus speaking

 **Awakening of the Hearts**

"Ugh!" A brunette was thrown back by a vicious attack and sent rolling along the ground as his keyblade skittered away from him.

"Come on, Sora! You're making it too easy!" Sora tilted his head up to look at his grinning silver haired friend and grit his teeth in response. He reached out for the keyblade and stabbed it into the ground to help him stand. Yen Sid's tower loomed over them and he could feel Kairi's eyes on him from the stairs. He slowly put himself back into position and waited for an attack. "Are you going to hold your blade like that?" Sora swore inwardly and glanced down to realize he was holding the keyblade behind him. Quickly switching it back he fell back into a crouch like what others were familiar with him doing.

The battle stance no longer felt familiar to him though.

"Sora, are you alright? You look exhausted and not just because I'm kicking your butt over here."

"I thought we came out here to train, Riku, not socialize like ladies!" Sora bit out and he immediately clamped his mouth shut as soon as the words were out. Those weren't his right? In front of him, Riku's eyes darkened. "I-I'm sorry I didn't mean—" He didn't get a chance to finish his apology as a winged blade was lashing out at his face. The brunette's eyes widened and he quickly jumped back, blade whipping up to clash with his opposition.

"What's your problem?" Riku's face was right in his and Sora felt his will break at the look in his eyes. Was that what he looked like when he was trying to bring Riku back from darkness? Was he already falling into it like Vanitas had said?

Maybe he was already there.

Sora didn't respond and instead shoved hard against him to send Riku stumbling back. No, no, no! He wouldn't—couldn't—tell Riku about it. Not even Kairi. If they knew about Vanitas… about Ventus… about his own heart… They would try and save him. According to that vision he had been shown that was what sealed their fate. He had avoided going back to it by staying awake. Training, eating, drawing, anything to not go back to that pitch black nightmare.

"Fine, if you won't tell us…" Sora's body stiffened as he felt magic curl around him, green dust being sprinkled above him. "At least get some sleep." The brunette spun around sluggishly to see Kairi standing behind him, her flowery blade raised. It seemed she had also been practicing. There was worry in her eyes and he felt something gnaw at his heart seeing it.

"We're worried about you, Sora…" she said quietly as she lowered her blade. He could now feel the effects of the spell and his eyes widened as he realized what it was.

"No…" He turned to face Riku only to fall to his knees, the silver haired teen's arms coming up to snag him under his armpits. "Y-you can't let me sleep!" Sora screeched at him, hands sluggishly coming up to grab at Riku's clothing. He saw Riku's eyes widen and could have sworn there was a speck of fear but he pushed it aside as his own fear clawed at his heart. "I d-don't want to see him again! D-don't let me sleep!"

"Him? Who are you talking about Sora?" Sora's mouth opened to respond but the sleep spell was dragging him down and everything began to blur. His fingers released their grip on his friend and Riku's yells sounded muffled in his ears.

" _Welcome back, little shadow."_

* * *

" _You tried to run from me?!"_ Sora cried out as a boot kicked him hard in the gut, sending him skidding across the dark floor. Tendrils shot out as he tried to rise and wrapped around his wrists to slam him back down with a pained grunt. _"I gave you truth and what do you do?"_ Sora whimpered at the golden eyes that glowed above him, trying to cower away from him but the darkness kept him anchored in place. _"You hide away! Like a coward."_

"I won't let y-you hurt my friends!" Sora shouted at him, wincing at the pain the action caused. A boot met his face, cracking his head back with such a force that blood splattered the ground. Vanitas reached down to tangle a hand in his mop of hair, dragging him up to stare into his dimming blue orbs.

" _You act as if you have a choice in the matter, little shadow."_ Vanitas snarled. Whips of darkness had followed Sora to wrap about his throat and now the brunette clawed at them as they choked the life out of him. Blood dripped from his nose and bruises were already forming to suggest it may have been broken. _"Your destiny was written by Master Xehanort long ago and that will_ _not_ _change."_ Spikes suddenly appeared within the ropes around Sora's neck and the boy gave a gurgled cough as they dug into his flesh. _"I don't mind breaking your body, little shadow. I quite enjoy it really. I hadn't planned on it since I desired a healthy vessel but if you insist on fighting against me,"_ The spikes stabbed deeper and trickles of blood began sliding down his skin. _"I will break what remains of your heart."_

The brunette gasped for air and his fingers bled as they still tried to free him from the spiked darkness. "I-I do-don't… ca-care," Sora breathed out, forcing his eyes to narrow at his doppelgänger. Vanitas's eyes burned gold with fury and his hand tightened its grip on his hair.

" _I hate you Ventus. You and that blasted self-sacrificing heart of yours!"_ He roared at him and he felt the darkness tremble around him. _"This time, I'll rip it out!"_ His hand tore itself free from of his chocolate locks and reared back with fingers splayed as if to do just that. _"I'd like to see you come back from that!"_ Sora's eyes clenched shut as his arm shot forward.

" **Enough!** " The darkness exploded in light and he could have sworn the tendrils around him screamed as they dissolved. He dropped to his knees and put a hand against his throat as he dragged air into his lungs. As the light began to fade he could see a young man standing above him, a bronze keyblade that he had never seen held in front of his chest. Vanitas's hand had slammed into it and now the black haired male sneered at this newcomer.

" _I thought we agreed that his heart was yours to do whatever with while his body was mine, Ventus."_ Sora started at that name and blinked at the keyblade wielder. He looked like Roxas… yet there was something different about him. A softness around the edges his Nobody never had and a shoulder plate adorning his arm.

" **I didn't agree to anything!** " Ventus bit back and pushed the dark piece of him away. Vanitas stumbled backwards yet the darkness behind him leaped up to steady his back. Light glowed around Ventus and the darkness around them writhed at its warmth, attempting to get closer only to be burned and pull back.

" _Oh didn't you? After all you didn't try and stop your heart from eating away at this boy's now did you? You wanted to see your friends so bad you let him be your sacrifice."_

" **I didn't know!** " The blond cried and Sora could see his light falter around him as he switched his keyblade behind him in a nervous stance. " **I would never—** "

" _Never try to do anything and everything to protect your friends? Oh but you wanted to protect them so badly, see them again that your entire heart ached with it. So you set about that task by using this boy's body to do so. I think it's a fair trade then that I get to have it for my turn."_

" **I won't let you hurt anyone else!** " Ventus growled as Vanitas's form disappeared into the black. He stepped further away from Sora in the process.

" _Oh but really, Ventus… Who is hurting who?"_ Both Sora and Ventus turned around at the voice and the brunette shrunk back to see a wave of dark keyblades come flying towards him.

" **Sora, wake up!** " The brunette spun back towards Ventus's cry to see the blond's hand outstretched towards him. Armor came rushing at him, locking around his form the minute it made contact with him. There was a blinding light and someone in the distance screamed with agonized rage.

* * *

When his eyes opened he immediately cried out at the brightness and put an arm over his face. Being so used to the suffocating darkness only to be thrown into blinding light was more than disconcerting.

" **Sora?** " The brunette slowly moved his arm away as a shadow came across him. Above him Roxas looked down on him with concern. No. Not Roxas. _Ventus._ The name still felt odd on his tongue. He groaned and fingered his throat only to find no blemishes there at all. He sat up suddenly and caused Ventus to go stumbling back.

"What? How—"

" **This is your heart, Sora.** " Ventus's voice brought him out of his thoughts as the blond knelt beside him. " **I tried the best I could to repair the hurt the darkness caused. But…** " Ventus faltered and Sora reached up to touch at his nose only to hiss in pain as agony shot across the bone. " **I couldn't fix it all,** " he murmured with a sideways look.

"I-it's fine," Sora muttered as he blinked tears away. He couldn't have warned him? "What happened?" He gazed around and saw it was the complete opposite of being with Vanitas. Light was everywhere and pulsed with a warm glow.

" **I tried to wake you up,** " Ventus began. " **Vanitas was attacking you in your mind and it took me awhile to get to you. Really I wasn't sure if I could, I haven't ever left your heart since I came here I don't think. When Vanitas attacked I thought by encasing you in my armor it would send you back to awareness but instead…** " He gestured to the white room. " **It brought you here to your heart.** "

"Are you sure it's mine?" The words came out before he could stop them and he regretted them the second they spilled forth. Ventus's shoulders curved inwards and he shifted his eyes down to the floor.

" **I never meant for this to happen, Sora. You… you saved me.** " Sora felt his own eyes widen as Ventus looked back up at him and water glistened in his blue gaze. " **When I thought I was gone you let me in and gave me shelter. I was so grateful for that. I… I never knew that I was hurting you. I was sleeping it felt like. Sometimes I would be aware of certain things, like images that weren't my memories stirring my heart and maybe at times like that I felt awake. But not really. I don't know how to explain it. Please trust me though!** " He reached out to grab at Sora's hands and the brunette started at the warmth that flooded them. " **If I had known what was happening I would have forced my heart out of yours the second I knew! I wanted to pay you back someday for helping me! But I… I…** " His head dropped and his fingers loosened their hold on his own. " **I did this to you…** " Water fell from his eyes and splashed onto their intertwined hands below. " **I'm so sorry, Sora…** "

His heart broke.

Or was it Ventus's heart that ached and he merely thought it was his own? Sora quickly shoved that thought away and tightened his fingers around Ventus's hands. He was Sora and no one else. Everything was his own. He had to believe that with every fiber in him or he would surely lose his sanity.

"I'm going to wake you up, Ventus." The blond's head snapped up so fast Sora flinched in sympathy however it seemed to not affect the keyblade wielder in the slightest.

" **Y-you're going to wake me up…? After everything?** " Sora nodded his head determinedly.

"You deserve to be free and I want you to find your friends again. I know that if I lost Riku and Kairi…" Sora trailed off as the crimson-drenched scene of his friends came to his mind's eye. "I'd do anything to get them back." He smiled warmly at the blond and forced the image of them away. "Just… you have to promise me something, ok?" Ventus nodded and bit his lip as Sora spoke. "Wh—If," he changed his wording quickly. "If Vanitas takes control of my body I need you to kill me."

" **W-what? I would never agr—** "

"You have to!" Sora interrupted. His hands clenched tightly around Ventus's and he could feel his own eyes fill with tears. "I don't want him to hurt my friends and I've tried so hard to keep him away… I haven't slept in at least four days!" His words came out half-choked and he lowered his head as he continued. "All I can see is my friends… and they're _dying_ all because they want to save me and it's not me anymore! I-I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen… B-but…" He forced himself to meet the blond's gaze. "You have to come back. You're one of the Guardians of Light and they need you. More than they need me…" he whispered.

" **Sora…** "

"Please, Ventus just promise me. Promise me you won't let Vanitas hurt them!" Sora begged. Tears were falling from his eyes now but he didn't care. He couldn't bear to think about what would happen if Vanitas was right and he couldn't hold him back. If his heart really was in tatters and Vanitas easily took control… if that scene came to be…

He wouldn't be the cause of his friends' demise. If he had to end his own life then so be it. Yet he needed Ventus to agree to it as well in the case he didn't have the strength to do it himself.

" **Ok.** " Sora's thoughts snapped back to the present at Ventus's quiet agreement. " **But that's not going to happen!** " The blond swore and he stared at Sora with a grim determination. **"You saved me twice, Sora. I** _ **will**_ **repay that to you. I'll save you from Vanitas. I promise. Then we can fight Xehanort together.** " The brunette's eyes widen but his lips suddenly tilted upwards in a watery smile, salty drops still coursing down his cheeks.

"Thank you, Ventus. Thank you…" He cried then and allowed the younger boy to wrap arms around him as he clung to his clothing. Even though he smiled deep in what remained of his heart he knew.

His destiny had been written for him long ago by all those around him and it didn't end happily for him, but for everyone else.

* * *

 **A/N:** Confession time. I meant for this to be a one-shot and forgot to put completed. When all of you reviewed though saying you wanted a continuation I tried to oblige. This will be in three pieces, this being the second one. I hope it met your expectations and if it didn't, well I tried. I feel I may have made these characters OOC so I apologize if it feels that way.

If you are confused as to where all of them are, they are in Sora's sleeping conscious. Ventus resides in his heart while Vanitas creeps in his mind. Roxas is also in Sora's heart but does not appear as he does not particularly pertain to this story. That and I feel that while Roxas has accepted Sora as his other he would not jump at the chance to protect him. If only to be freed himself. So this chapter is the middle of both Vanita's 'territory' and Ventus's in Sora's mind and heart.

The third chapter will be last chapter and I hope it will tie everything together. I found a job now so I have no guarantee as to when it will be posted. But I promise I'll make it! Thank you for all your support! Makes me feel happy inside~

Until we meet again~

\- Zehava


	3. Sora

**Warning:** Possible OOCness ahead.

 **Spoilers:** For DDD and Birth by Sleep

 _Italics:_ Vanitas Speaking

 **Awakening of the Hearts**

Castle Oblivion is still one of the most hated places he has ever been. Even after Namine and the rest of Organization XIII members left, it still brought memories back that tormented his heart. Or perhaps he should say his _and_ Ventus's heart.

He had avoided Kairi and Riku since that day they put him to sleep by force though of course they had tried to get out of him what he was talking about. He merely waved it off as a nightmare of some other villain they had fought against and while they had obviously not believed him, he had never given them the chance to look deeper into it.

Now he was here without his friends knowing including King Mickey.

Except for Lea.

"Are you sure this is the way to the room?" Sora asked the red-haired keyblade wielder. Lea frowned and scratched at his hair.

"Pretty sure… I know there was always that room we were never allowed to go in. Even with Namine not here though this place is screwing with my thoughts." Sora sighed but agreed with a nod. He could feel his memories start to disappear just like the other times he went into this damn place.

The two continued to walk and as they went on he could feel a tugging at his heart, growing fiercer with every step further into the castle. A yearning to go home.

"Yeah, I have no bloody idea where we are." Lea finally huffed with a slight growl to his tone. He stopped in his tracks however Sora kept walking. "Uh, Sora? Where ya going?"

"I don't know," he replied truthfully. "But I feel like this is right." Lea's frown deepened but he merely shrugged and followed after the brunette. Sora continued walking even as he felt his memories start to desert him. He had to get home…

The pair stopped in front of a large door and Sora glanced up at Lea.

"Is this familiar to you?"

"Uh… well… No? I don't think so at least." Lea replied. Sora sighed and reached out for the door handle.

"Just stay here, ok?" The brunette didn't wait for a reply and pried open the door, grunting at the weight. He could only open it a crack, just enough to slip his body through.

The room was white as all the other rooms but this one felt warm as if it had been created with a different feeling in mind than all the rest. He felt his memories flood back and he staggered back with a hand to his head at the force. In the room sat a giant chair and slumped in this was a blond haired young man.

"Ventus…!" Sora felt his heart leap at the sight and he hurried over to the slumbering boy. Sora reached out to poke his shoulder and jerked his hand back as his finger met flesh. "You're really here…" The brunette took a deep breath and steeled his nerves then called his keyblade to his hand.

" _Are you really going to wake him, little shadow?"_ He halted with his keyblade aimed at his heart and shuddered at the voice that slithered through his mind. _"I knew you would, but still I can't believe you're this stupid to throw everything away!"_

"Shut up!" Sora growled and clenched his eyes shut. "I won't lose to you. Ventus deserves this…" He whispered the last part as if to convince himself. His reply was only laughter echoing through his head and Sora made up his mind. He plunged the keyblade into his heart and gasped as he felt something in his heart release. Light glowed around the wound and slowly a ball of light formed from the leaking gash. The keyblade glowed then shattered and the brunette felt himself drop to his knees. He saw the light phase into Ventus just before he collapsed onto his side.

His body felt like someone had ripped through him with a clawed hand and left only tatters. His heart… he could only hear an echo of 'Sora' in its brokenness. Was Vanitas right when he said that was all he had left?

" _Oh now you've done it, little shadow. There's nothing left of you but a name! But soon even that will be gone. You're in such pain aren't you…?"_

Yes. By God it hurt everywhere… like he was _**dying**_.

" _Just sleep, little shadow. All of the pain will disappear."_ Disappear…?

"S-sora!" Sora's dimming gaze slid up to see Ventus stumbling out of his chair, hitting the ground hard on hands and knees. The disuse of his body was evident by the sluggish and clumsy way he struggled to move.

"V-ven…" He struggled to get the name out as the blond knelt beside him. "Wha…" Ventus ignored his question and grabbed his hand while extending his other, a bronze keyblade with a wing-like design appearing in his grasp.

"What did Terra always say…?!" Ventus hissed as he placed Sora's hand on the keyblade's handle. "Um… In your hand… take this key," he started. "So long as you have the, uh, markings? Makings! So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of… taking! It's wielder you shall one day be." He gritted his teeth as he wracked his brain. "And… was there more…?" Ventus shook his head violently and clutched Sora's hand. "I-I think that's all. B-but now you should be able to use the keyblade—your **own** keyblade! Fight against Vanitas, don't let him win!" Sora opened his mouth to respond but darkness engulfed his vision.

" _Sleep little shadow…"_ Sora felt himself plunging down into a black abyss like so many years ago. Yet this time there wasn't a painted glass floor to step onto and instead he continued to fall.

Until an arm wrapped around his waist to drag him back into a chest. A hand slipped across his eyes and a breath whispered across his ears. _"Just let go of the pain and fall back into darkness. As I said before, it's where you belong."_

Where did he belong…?

Ventus breathed hard and shook Sora after the brunette went silent with eyes closing. Did it work? The brunette's eyes suddenly snapped open and the blonde jerked back with surprise. The young man shakily got to his feet, head and limbs hanging like a puppet being pulled up by the strings. He suddenly snapped his hand out and a keyblade materialized in his hand.

A keyblade of black and red formed, chains wrapped around the blade and two ice blue eyes set in the weapon glared out viciously. Ventus shuddered at the familiar blade and he tried to scramble backwards as Sora's head snapped up to grin at him. Golden eyes bored into his blue orbs.

" _Ahaha, you should have stayed asleep, Ventus!"_ Sora's voice cackled and echoed around the barren room as his keyblade slashed forward.

* * *

 **A/N:** My belief is that Castle Oblivion will still mess with all your memories because Aqua set it up to be confusing. Sora brought Lea thinking he could help since he was there so long. But being Lea not Axel—a nobody with no memories—he's not too helpful.

I was going to include an epilogue but I couldn't find a way for it to make sense in the KH world so this is the end. It's up to you if Sora completely disappears. Thank you for all the reviews/faves/follows; they really helped me to keep on.

Until we meet again~

\- Zehava


End file.
